


acting and pretense vanish away

by siojo



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Danzo is a rude man, Gen, Hokage Hatake Kakashi, Mentioned Others - Freeform, Politics, Seals master in training Naruto, mentioned (very briefly) arranged marriages, naps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-14 21:10:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14144643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siojo/pseuds/siojo
Summary: Kakashi-sensei nods, “Good. Seals have to be precise or?”“You can be killed, horribly disfigured, or end up launching yourself into another time?” Naruto answers.“At least that’s what your mother would say. I’m not sure if someone can end up in another time because of a seal, but she was the one with the clan that specialized in it. If she said it was possible, then we’ll just continue passing on that same warning.”





	acting and pretense vanish away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anadiangelo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anadiangelo/gifts).



> Happy birthday to anadiangelo!
> 
> have a very specific au where Kakashi became the Godaime Hokage and is trying to be the best sensei with a little help and where there's a lot of background politics!

“You’ll blow yourself up if you aren’t careful,” Kakashi-sensei states, shaking his head when Naruto jerks the brush across the seal that he had been working on, a thick jagged strike of black ink ruining the explosive seal and turning it into a doodle. Naruto is glad, he could have blown himself up if it had been a little thinner or to the left. “I thought you promised to only practice these when there was someone to watch.”

 

It’s a rebuke and Naruto knows it, but he doesn’t give into the urge to duck his head in guilt, meeting Kakashi-sensei’s eye. He can’t give in if he wants to make his point, “You’ve been too busy to help, sensei. Raido-sempai and Genma-sempai,” who insisted that Naruto can’t call them sensei. “Are supervising the spar between Sasuke and Lee.”

 

“Spar,” Kakashi-sensei says with a sigh. “Or another attempt to try and get him to stop treating Sakura-chan like she needs a hero to come and save her?”

 

“Trying to stop Sakura-chan from breaking Lee by taking him out first,” Naruto corrects, because it’s true. Lee didn’t understand the politics at play in the arranged marriage between Sakura and Sasuke, he thought she had been forced into it while declaring that Sasuke was a rouge or villain. “She’s only getting better at breaking things.”

 

Kakashi-sensei nods, dropping onto the grass and Naruto has to hide a wince at the way the Hokage robes will be grass stained when he eventually stands up, “Stop that, the guard can get me a new robe if something comes up, now show me how that seal is going.”

 

“Don’t you have a meeting?”

 

“I think that Danzo could use a lesson,” Kakashi-sensei answers, the edge of his smile just visible. More reminiscent of the way a wolf bares its teeth then a smile, but Naruto thinks that Kakashi-sensei uses them interchangeably. “He’s rescheduled this meeting several times to gain the advantage.”

 

Naruto frowns, “How does that help him?”

 

“He waits until the last moment and then has one of his men come to inform me that something has come up. It’s a stalling tactic and one that he used on Minato-sensei, because when Sarutobi was in office, if he did it enough, when he did finally show up, Sarutobi was too exasperated to listen to what he was saying. Minato-sensei was a smart man, but he also hated when others wasted his time,” Kakashi-sensei glances at him and Naruto tries not to look so eager, not when he can see the way that Kakashi-sensei is doing this on purpose. “So he would do the same thing to him.”

 

“He would?”

 

“Minato-sensei didn’t tolerate insubordination. He also didn’t tolerate rudeness, which Danzo was. He never once called him Hokage-sama or Minato-sama. Just Minato or Hokage if he had to,” Kakashi-sensei sighs. “You better remember that, it’ll be on your next assessment.”

 

Naruto laughs, “And here I thought sensei was just telling me stories about my father, not trying to shove more knowledge into my head.”

 

“Well, a man can kill two enemies with a single throw,” Kakashi-sensei pulls out his book, not the one that he usually read, the one that held all the rumors and reports from the spies reporting to their intelligence department. “Do you want to make another attempt at that seal?”

 

“Yeah, I think I almost have it,” Naruto agrees grabbing a new practice sheet and taking a breath to help himself focus. “And once I prefect it, then I can practice speed, like you said, sensei.”

 

Kakashi-sensei nods, “Good. Seals have to be precise or?”

 

“You can be killed, horribly disfigured, or end up launching yourself into another time?” Naruto answers.

 

“At least that’s what your mother would say. I’m not sure if someone can end up in another time because of a seal, but she was the one with the clan that specialized in it. If she said it was possible, then we’ll just continue passing on that same warning.”

 

Naruto snickers, slowly tracing the pattern from memory. He had that much down, it’s reliably creating the pattern on paper that is keeping him from advancing. Kakashi-sensei was a taskmaster for all that he was locked away in his office trying to finish up his paperwork and unable to actually hover over them to check their work. He had Genma-sempai and Raido-sempai and Iwashi-sempai to do that for him.

 

“You’re drifting,” Kakashi-sensei states, forcing Naruto to blink himself back to the present. “If you are distracted, take a break before you do damage. I thought you were looking through that treatise that Sakura-chan recommended to you?”

 

“Finished it. It was really dry and most of the information was obsolete, what little wasn’t was never expounded upon. Sasuke got me a new one, it’s on trap making. He says that as long as you ignore the snide comments about the Nidaime, it’s not too bad. It’s got a lot of information that can still be used and a number of the traps that are too tame can be adjusted,” Naruto says moving closer to where Kakashi-sensei has closed his eyes, book covering the last bit of his face unhidden by his headband and mask. “I’ve been making notes.”

 

Kakashi-sensei yawns, “Uchiha Madara and his brother were excellent trap makers. You had to be when it was every clan for themselves. I’d like to see your notes when I’m finished reading these reports.”

 

“Of course, sensei.”

 

There had been an issue on the border with Iwa trying to press the advantage that they thought existed because of Orochimaru’s invasion and Sarutobi’s death. That there was a weakness to be exploited by anyone who was quick enough to take the chance. The border patrol had been able to push back the attempt, but it had left Kakashi-sensei up late, arguing with his commanders on how he wanted to retaliate and how they could afford to. When he had finally gone to sleep afterwards, Naruto had heard him getting up just a few hours later.

 

“You don’t sound like you’re reading.”

 

“Debating how to alter a trap,” Naruto lies, scribbling down an idea he had that morning. “There are so many to choose from and with seals they become a bit more dangerous.”

 

“You’re getting better a lying.”

 

Naruto grins, “You said that I was going to learn from the best, sensei!”

 

Kakashi-sensei laughs, lifting his book enough to glance at him, “I did promise that didn’t I?” He rests his book back over his eye. “Very well, I suppose that I can’t be upset at you for doing what I’m teaching you to do.”

 

“Thank you, sensei.”

 

“Mha-mha, go back to your book. I’m busy,” he pauses and moves one of his arms behind his head. “Studying reports on Iwa and making sure my cute little genin don’t blow up.”

 

“Not cute, sensei.”

 

Kakashi-sensei smirks, continuing as if he had never stopped, “Adorable little genin. Just the kind of little monsters that any jounin sensei would be proud of.” he doesn’t say anything about how Naruto moves closer. “Don’t hit my pocket, I have ink in there.”

 

“I won’t,” Naruto promises, grinning as Kakashi-sensei falls silent.

 

He’s not asleep, at least not the kind of asleep that Naruto would be if he was in Kakashi-sensei’s place, but Genma-senpai said that ANBU were taught a way to rest without leaving themselves open to danger and he thinks that is what he’s doing. It’s better than nothing, Naruto is sure, even with all the aid that he has, Kakashi-sensei is working long hours and always makes time for the team.

 

“Godaime-sama,” Naruto hushes the secretary, who looks harried and tired. “Ah, I see,” she smirks. “I suppose I should let Danzo-sama know that Hokage-sama is in a very important mission. Please make sure you let him know, won’t you, Naruto-kun?”

 

“Yes ma’am!” he grins, snickering to himself when she hurries off muttering about kicking Danzo out of the waiting room. Kakashi-sensei would be very pleased, his first conspiracy against a council member. Naruto sketches a seal into the dirt, a simple one that Genma-sempai had learned from his mother to create a small area that wouldn’t be seen, tying in Kakashi-sensei’s guard team, hiding him away should someone else come searching. “Now, where was that trap?”


End file.
